Cppcheck vs PHPMD
Cppcheck
cppcheck.comPHPMD
phpmd.orgSide by side
| Figure | Cppcheck | PHPMD |
|---|---|---|
| Price from | Free | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Free trial | Yes | — |
| Open source | Yes | — |
| Windows | Yes | Yes |
| macOS | Yes | Yes |
| Linux | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hosted | Yes | Yes |
| Plans published | 8 | 1 |
| Spec score · Linters | 8.8 (#1) | 7.7 (#21) |
| Founded | 2021 | 2009 |
| Purpose | Cppcheck is a static analysis tool for C and C++ code that detects bugs, undefined behavior, and dangerous coding constructs. | PHPMD analyzes PHP source code for possible bugs, suboptimal code, overcomplicated expressions, and unused parameters, methods, or properties. |
| Support | Enterprise includes onboarding and configuration support and access to an enterprise support portal; Project includes onboarding support and prioritized second-line support. | The support page directs users to the Gitter channel for help and the issue tracker for bugs or feature requests. |
Plans
Cppcheck
- Cppcheck Premium trialFree
- Open-sourceFree
- Open-source CppcheckFree
- EnterprisePriced on request
- Enterprise LicensePriced on request
- IndividualPriced on request
- ProjectPriced on request
- Project LicensePriced on request
In their own words
Cppcheck
Cppcheck is a static analysis tool for C and C++ code that detects bugs, undefined behavior, and dangerous coding constructs. It can analyze non-standard syntax commonly found in embedded projects. The tool fully supports C++11, C++14, and C++17, with partial support for C++20, and lists integrations with Visual Studio, VSCode, Keil, Eclipse, CLion, Qt Creator, and C++ Builder. Its Soundy mode is intended to help find hard-to-find bugs discovered during testing. The free Open-source plan provides core static analysis. Premium adds checks for safety and security standards, with compliance reports for supported standards; the maker describes Premium as TÜV SÜD certified for safety-critical development. A three-week free trial is offered without a credit card or commitment. Individual licensing excludes CI environments, virtual machines, and containers, while Enterprise supports those environments and air-gapped use. Project requires at least five users and one Git repository. Paid plan prices are available by tailored quotation.
PHPMD
PHPMD analyzes PHP source code for possible bugs, inefficient patterns, complicated expressions, and unused parameters, methods, or properties. Its predefined rules flag code smells and potential errors across categories including clean code, code size, controversial practices, design, naming, and unused code. Teams can add custom rules and use security rules, and PHPMD supports CI workflows. Reports include JSON, SARIF, Checkstyle-compatible, GitHub, and GitLab options, including a GitLab renderer for GitLab CI. The project documents installation through a Phar, PHIVE, or Composer; Phar files are signed with a public key associated with [email protected]. Listed requirements are PHP >= 5.3.9 and PHP_Depend >= 2.0.0. PHPMD is free under the BSD 3-Clause license and runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, or a self-hosted setup. The homepage lists version 2.15.0, dated 2023/12/11, as the latest release shown. Help is available through the Gitter channel, while bugs and feature requests go to the issue tracker.